With the advent of fast food type establishments there has been a problem with take-out orders. Paper bags have been used but the drinks often at least partially tip over leaking on adjacent food as well as weakening the bottom of the bag.
To overcome this problem, tray type cartons have been designed which are usually made of cardboard or the like and are shipped in flat condition and thereafter folded open to accept a bag of food in the center thereof with a plurality of drink holders on either side. These trays or cartons are relatively flimsy and easily bend, causing the drinks to spill. Additionally they are hard to carry and require both hands of the person. A juggling act usually ensues when such person tries to leave the restaurant, open his or her car door, or the like.
The separate bag for food and carton for drinks greatly adds to the overhead costs of the fast food establishment and, as pointed out above, give questionable to unsatisfactory results. Further there is twice as much trash to dispose of which, unfortunately, quite often ends up on the side of the road.
After much research and study into the above mentioned problems, the present invention has been developed to provide a bag-like container with an interiorly deployable support means which allows drinks to be held in an upright position in the lower portion thereof with the food being supported on a separate, deployable member to prevent any possibility of liquid contanmination of the food as well as giving rigidity to the overall container.
The above is accomplished through the provision of relatively stiff support means secured to and mounted within a bag type container and including somewhat weaked fold lines. The support means do not interfere with the bag being folded in the normal manner.
When the bag is ready to use it is opened in the normal manner. The first support means is folded down along predetermined fold lines and is adapted to supportingly receive a drink container or containers. A second support means is then folded into place to support food products as well as to separate such products from said drink or drinks. The top of the bag is then closed and can be transported without fear of the drinks turning over, the food becoming contaminated with the liquids, nor the contents of the bag undesirably shifting.
In addition to the bag advantages, the present invention is also less expensive to produce than separate bags and separate support means, is easier to ship and store than two separate items, is more convenient to use, and is adaptable to be used in conjunction with different standard size drink containers.
In view of the above, it is an object of the present invention to provide an internally deployable, beverage and food support means.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved food type container including built in beverage and food support means.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a bag type container with box type support means provided therein.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved food container having separate support means for beverages and food.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a bag type container having separate support means deployable interiorly thereof for supporting beverages and food.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent and obvious from study of the following description and the accompanying drawings which are merely illustrative of such invention.